1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to: a tape processing apparatus in which written letters are also printed on a target tape together with raised letters (Braille); a method of processing a target tape in the tape processing apparatus; and a program. In this specification, the term “written letters” means letters printed in ink or the like as compared with embossed raised letters, and the term “target tape” means a tape which is made an object (or target) of processing such as printing, embossing, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a tape processing apparatus which prints and embosses both the raised letters and written letters on a target tape so that a person having an ordinary eyesight can understand the meaning of the raised letters. The apparatus is made up of: feeding means for feeding the target tape; printing means having a thermal head for printing the written letters; and embossing means having a plurality of embossing pins for embossing the raised letters. This tape processing apparatus performs the following operations, i.e., raised letters are embossed by the embossing means in the lower half of the target tape, and written letters are printed by the printing means in the upper half of the target tape, thereby forming a target tape having raised letters and written letters in parallel with each other. In other words, in this tape processing apparatus, the embossing of the raised letters and the printing of the written letters are performed in parallel with each other while feeding the target tape.
There is also known a raised-letter label which is formed by the above-described kind of apparatus and is capable of being recognized by both those who are handicapped in eyesight and those who have ordinary eyesight.
This kind of conventional tape processing apparatus has the following problem. Namely, when the embossing means is operated, the target tape will get out of the thermal head due to the vibrations accompanied by the embossing operations, whereby the written-letter printing deteriorates in quality.
In order to eliminate this kind of problem, the following arrangement may be considered. Namely, the printing means and the embossing means are formed into separate members or disposed at a distance from each other. After having printed the written letters on the target tape by the printing means, the target tape is manually inserted into the embossing means to thereby emboss the raised letters (a so-called two-pass method in that the target tape is caused to pass through the apparatus twice).
If the printing process and the embossing process are performed in the above-described two-pass method, the following procedure becomes necessary. Namely, in case the raised letters are embossed on the upper half of the target tape and the written letters are printed on the lower half thereof, the target tape having printed thereon the written letters must be inverted upside down before manually inserting it into the apparatus, and the embossing must then be performed starting with the last word to come in the ordinary order of reading. The embossing from the last word can be performed easily through data processing, but there will occur a new problem in that the user may make a mistake in inserting the target tape into the embossing means in the wrong direction (upside-and-downside direction). It is to be noted that the user is likely to introduce the target tape into the embossing means in the same direction as the direction in which the target tape is discharged in the printing process.
In case the written letter printing has a content whose vertical (upside-and-downside) positional relationship cannot be judged as shown in FIG. 16A (e.g., an arrow mark, numeral zero, or the like), the user may sometimes make a mistake in the upside and the downside as seen in the widthwise direction of the target tape when the target tape having printed thereon the written letters. Further, in case only the raised-letter embossing is performed on the target tape without printing the written letters, the person having an ordinary eyesight has a difficulty in recognizing the upside and the downside of the label thus formed. Therefore, he or she may wrongly adhere the label upside down.